Gatwick plan for super jumbo

BAA has started tentative studies into coping with Airbus's super jumbo at Gatwick as well as Heathrow, where investment of up to £150m will be needed to accommodate the A380.

Airlines have told the airport operator that Heathrow remains the prime location for the huge double-decker Airbus aircraft, but BAA is looking at the possibility of adapting Gatwick as well. Gatwick has recently suffered a major blow with British Airways' decision to switch more operations to Heathrow.

BAA has made it clear to Airbus executives that it will only accommodate an environmentally friendly super jumbo with noise levels considerably below current levels. "This is our biggest concern," said a spokesman yesterday.

Plans are being made to improve facilities at Terminals 3 and 4 to prepare for the arrival of the A380 from 2006 - before the expected completion of Terminal 5, which has been designed to handle the bigger aircraft.

Heathrow's runways will be reinforced and taxiways widened to cope with the 555-seater aircraft and their 260ft wingspan, almost 60ft wider than the biggest planes using the airport. Two A380s will occupy the terminal space at present accommodating three jumbos.

Currently BAA planning is based on handling 80 super jumbos a day by 2016, representing just over 6pc of the total planes forecast to be using Heathrow's two runways at the time. Airbus has so far won 50 orders for a plane predicted to need investment of $10.7 billion (£7 billion) to get off the ground and expects to win another 30 orders over the next few months.

Lufthansa, the German airline, and two leading air freight companies wanting cargo versions, Federal Express and Atlas Air, are among the lead customers. BA is continuing to shun the A380 and concentrate its programme on smaller aircraft.